Article sterilizing, deodorizing and accounting process and apparatus



y 1963 w. WALKER, JR 3,096,148

ARTICLE STERILIZING, DEODORIZING AND ACCOUNTING PROCESS AND APPARATUS Flled Nov 7, 1961 INVENTOR W\LL|S WALKER,JR.

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,696,148 ARTICLE STERILIZENG, DEQDORIZING AND ACCOUNTING PRQCESS AND APPARATUS Willis Walker, Jr., 990 Hardy St., Hattiesburg, Miss. Filed Nov. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 150,761 6 Claims. (Cl. 2158) This invention relates to the rental of personal items and more particularly to apparatus and process for deodorizing and sterilizing shoes and keeping a record of the number of pairs used.

In bowling establishments it has become the practice to rent shoes to those using the alleys, such shoes being returned before the user leaves the premises. Over a period of time the shoes become less desirable for subsequent users, particularly the more fastidious, since they may have an unpleasant odor and may be contaminated or appear to be. Even if there is no noticeable odor, many potential users prefer not to wear items such as shoes that have been Worn by others without having them appropriately processed for the purpose of decontamination and the like prior to their wearing them.

In addition to the foregoing, the rental of shoes provides one of the substantial sources of income to many establishments and is subject to the risk of carelessness or dishonesty on the part of employees connected therewith, all of which may decrease the income derived from the rental operation.

The providing of freshly sterilized articles has been practiced in connection with various items such as tumblers and toilet seats in hotels and has contributed materially to the patrons enjoyment of the premises and is recognized as having definite appeal to patrons and consequently of value to the owner.

It is an object of the present invention to provide apparatus and process by means of which personal items such as bowling shoes may be easily and inexpensively sterilized and deodorized and offered to patrons in an attractive sealed container.

It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method for processing personal items such as shoes after each rental use and by means of which the number of such uses is automatically counted.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatus by means of which sterilizing and deodorizing gas may be simply and easily dispensed for use in an appropriate location.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of apparatus in accordance with the present invention and illustrating its use in connection with a pair of bowling shoes;

FIG. 2, a section on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, an elevation, greatly enlarged, of the envelope from which gases are released upon the opening thereof;

FIG. 4, a section on the line 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5, an elevation, partly in section, illustrating the release of gas from the envelope having a proper amount of liquid therein.

Briefly stated, the present invention includes a transparent container such as a bag appropriate in size to hold a pair of shoes, an envelope of a structure especially designed for holding chemical matter in dry form which becomes active upon the addition of a liquid such as water and having appropriately sized and located apertures which admit the water, temporarily seal the envelope and then permit discharge of gas from the envelope, the container having indicia thereon for accounting purposes and, if desired, information for the patron indicating the processing of the article therein.

Tee

With continued reference to the drawing, there is illustrated a container 10 of a size appropriate to hold articles such as shoes S and having its mouth sealed by a closure 11. The container may be of various materials such as cellophane or other preferably transparent plastic in order that the contents may be sealed yet visible. Preferably the container is of a material which may be easily heat sealed by instruments which are well known and easy to operate by relatively unskilled personnel. The container preferably bears indicia, such as the number 12, each container bearing an individual number in order that the number used may be determined over a period of time, thus providing a check on the number of rentals which are made of the item.

In order to process theshoes after each use, means is provided for subjecting them within the container to an atmosphere which is adapted to improve their condition, including having qualities such as deodorizing and sterilizing. In order to accomplish either or both of these purposes, a generator of gases which may be easily stored,

handled and used is provided. Such generator includes.

an envelope 15 of which the preferred form is made of paper, which is flat, having its upper and lower ends 16 and 17 sealed and having side edges 18 with apertures 20 in each adjacent to the top of the envelope.

Prior to sealing the envelopes, each has placed therein dry material which may consist of tablets or pellets 21, 22 which when activated by the presence of water or other liquid cause the material to give off appropriate gases. As an example a tablet of par-aformaldehyde may be employed which, when activated, gives off the gas formaldehyde, which is well known to have a sterilizing and deodorizing function. Such gas also inhibits the growth of mildew, bacteria, mold and fungi. If desired, another substance, paradichlorobenzene, may be employed separately or together with the paraformaldehyde, and other substances may be employed for purposes such as perfuming or increasing the attractiveness of the odor within the container.

An envelope 15 with an appropriate material therewithin is activated by holding the same from the top within a container having an activating liquid, such as warm water, to permit the liquid to enter the envelope through the apertures 20, a sufliciency being ascertained by a ceasing of the air escaping therefrom. The thickness of the material or pellets 21, 22 tends to hold the apertures open until the envelope is immersed. Upon such immersion and the entry of water, the moistening of the lips defining the apertures 20 tends to initially close the apertures and thus prevent leakage. As the tablets become activated and give off gas the liquid in the envelope is absorbed and the gas discharges through openings 20 into the container 10 in which the envelope is placed immediately after it is immersed.

As soon as the shoes and the previously immersed envelope are placed in the container its mouth is sealed in an appropriate manner by heat or other means. The 'bag with the shoes therein is then stored, during which time the gas is discharge from the envelope into cont-act with the shoes, thus performing a sterilizing and deodorizing function and enhancing their condition for the next user.

Various materials may be used for the deodorizing and disinfecting functions, those described having been found to adequately perform such functions and are not toxic to skin, plastics, rubber and leather. Although the invention may be practiced with envelopes of various sizes and varying amounts of material therein, a preferred embodiment of the envelope is 2% inches wide, 3 /2 inches long and has apertures 20 of A inch diameter spaced approximately an inch from the top edge of the envelope.

The parafornraldehyde' pellet is 0.6 gram weight and has a binding and disintegrating agent to improve its operation. A convenient size of paradichlorobenzene in tablet form is grains.

, After the shoes are stored with the envelope for a period of time they may be offered in the container to the next user, who disposes of the container and the envelope. Since each pair of shoes will require the use of one container and all are serially numbered, it will 'be easy for the management to ascertain an accurate count of the number of shoe rentals for which an accounting should be made.

Accordingly, it will be understood that the present invention includes the provision of an inexpensive container and gas generator by means of which personal articles such as shoes may be easily and inexpensively stored in an atmosphere which deodorizes, decontaminates and inhibits the growth of bacteria and mold, whereby patrons are provided with sealed articles that have been processed for their personal use and whereby an accurate and simple method of accounting for. the number of such rentals is accomplished.

It will be obvious to oneskilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is illustrated in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for sanitizing and deodorizing articles comprising a heat sealable disposable container for receiv-' ing said articles and an independent gas generator within said container, said generator including wall structure defining a substantially flat paper-envelope, at least one pellet disposed within said envelope, said pellet giving oif sanitizing and deodorizing gases in the presence of water, said wall structure having at least one aperture for the inlet of water and the outlet of gases, the wall structure about said aperture being adapted to close to prevent leakage until opened by the expanding gases whereby water may be introduced into said envelope having a gas producing pellet and the envelope and article placed in the container and the container sealed by heat and thereafter said pellet will produce gases to sanitize and deodorize said article.

2.. The structure of claim 1 in which tains paraformaldehyde.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said pellet contains paradichlorobenzene.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which said pellet contains paraformaldehyde and paradichlorobenzene.

5. The combination of a disposable container and a gas generator, said container comprising a heat sealable transparent material for receiving articles, indicia onsaid container for indicating the number of containers used, said gas generator comprising wall structure defining a substantially flat envelope, dry material disposed within said envelope, said material giving off sanitizing and deodorizing gases in the presence of water, said wall structure having at least one aperture for the inlet of water and the outlet of gases, the wall structure about said aperture being adapted to close to prevent leakage of the water until opened by the expanding gases given said pellet conofi by the combined dry material and water whereby the articles in said container are subjected to sanitizing and deodorizing gases.

. 6. The method of sanitizing and deodorizing shoes comprising the steps of placing the shoes in a disposable heat sealable container, placing a dry pellet within an envelope having an aperture, introducing a fluid into said envelope to activate said pellet and give ofi sanitizing and deodorizing gases, placing said envelope within said container with said shoes and sealing said container by heat to thereby sanitize and 'deodorize said shoes and to retain said shoes in such condition until subsequently used.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. APPARATUS FOR SANITIZING AND DEODORIZING ARTICLES COMPRISING A HEAT SEALABLE DISPOSABLE CONTAINER FOR RECEIVOMG SAID ARTICLES AND AN INDEPENDENT GAS GENERATOR WITHIN SAID CONTAINER, SAID GENERATOR INCLUDING WALL STRUCTURE DEFINING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT PAPER EVELOPE, AT LEAST ONE PELLET DISPOSED WITHIN SAID ENVELOPE, SAID PELLET GIVING OFF SANITIZING AND DEODORIZING GASES IN THE PRESENCE OF WATER, SAID WALL STRUCTURE HAVING AT LEAST ONE APERTURE FOR THE INLET OF WATER AND THE OUTLET OF GASES, THE WALL STRUCTURE ABOUT SAID APERTURE BEING ADAPTED TO CLOSE TO PREVENT LEAKAGE UNTIL OPENED BY THE EXPANDING GASES WHEREBY WATER MAY BE INTRODUCED INTO SAID ENVELOPE HAVING A GAS PRODUCING PELLET AND THE ENVELOPE AND ARTICLE PLACED IN THE CONTAINER AND THE CONTAINER SEALED BY HEAT AND THEREAFTER SAID PELLET WILL PRODUCE GASES TO SANITIZE AND DEODORIZE SAID ARTICLE. 